“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7 NIV).
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1 NIV).
These past several weeks we’ve been teaching on how to follow godly principles for financial fitness. The response has been amazing. People have decided to live more simply, cut back on spending, save more, get out of debt, and even give more.
One family decided not to buy a new car, but instead put new tires on their old clunker. Another family decided against a new dining table. Another postponed a kitchen remodel. One family has even decided to sell their house and downsize in order to live more simply and also so that they can be free to give more.
As a result, our WCC families are getting free from financial bondage and learning the joy of simple living and generous giving. But at the same time, I suppose we owe the President an apology. After all, he and the congress have been spending lots of our tax money trying to stimulate consumer spending.
I guess we’re hurting the economy because we’re not stimulated to consume more. We’re repenting of being consumers, we want to become debt free, so we can be generous givers and radical “livers.”
According to a recent article, we’re not the only ones that are cutting back on our consumer spending. Author Kevin G. Hall reports that the age of the American consumer economy is dead. He describes how our spending based on easy credit created a world-wide economy that has now fallen into crisis.
“China became a manufacturing hub by selling attractively priced exports to U.S. consumers who were living beyond their means. China’s Asian neighbors sent it components for final assembly; Africa and Latin America sold China their raw materials. All fed off U.S. consumers’ bottomless appetite for more, bought on credit.” (By Kevin G. Hall, “A Year After Financial Crisis, Consumer Economy Dead,” McClatchy Newspapers).
It seems to me that the so-called consumer economy was always unsustainable. Not only do I think it would be a mistake to attempt to return to that mode, but I don’t believe we can. The days of easy credit are over for a while.
I believe that Christians should live simply and stay free from debt, so that they can be free to follow God’s call and to give generously when they see a need. I believe that we can model a more faithful way of life to our fellow Americans during these challenging times.
Perhaps God has allowed this economic crisis to “stimulate” us to stop looking for meaning in our possessions and to turn to Him.